Mineral-separating machine



April 21,1925. 1,534,481

o. w. ALSTON MINERAL SEPARATING MACHINE I Filed Feli. 16, 1921 INVENTOR.(QWW A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES OSCAR W. ALSTON, OF NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA,CANADA.

MINERAL-SEPARATING MACHINE.

Application filed February 16, 1921. Serial No. 445,296.

To all cvhom, it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, Osoan W. Answer, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of NewWestminster, in the district of Westminster and Province of BritishColumbia, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mineral-Separating Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to mineral separating machines and hasfor itsobject the production ofa simple and compact machine for the thorough.and economic recovery of metals such as gold. platinum, silver, etc.from their constituent ores, gangue, slime or sands and of the metallicsulphides from their gangue or from associated oxides.

Different forms of the embodiment of my invention are illustrated in theaccompany.

ing drawings in which: 1

Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal side view of the machine, thecylindrical body of which is shown in section.

Fig. 2 represents an end view looking toward the discharge end of themachine.

Fig. 3 represents a sectional side View of the machine through itscenter showing automatic means for removal of metal-collecting substanceand automatic means for re-coating the drum.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line H Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is alongitudinal sectional view of the machine as shown in Fig. 4 on theline 5-5.

Fig. 6 represents an end view in section of the metal collector L, asbeing a preferred method of removing sulphides from the greased surfaceB without removal of the grease from the surface of the belt or lining.

A represents a revoluble'cylindrical vessel adapted to be rotated on itshorizontal axis and having preferably on its interior surface a. liningB made of any material adapted to retain a coating of any substance suchas a fatty, oily or greasy substance having a selective action oraffinity for particles of metal. For such lining a composition of rubberor other material may be employed but as substances adapted to retain anoily or greasy coating are well known in the arts generally, the natureof this composition need not be further described.

In the following description the term grease is used to embrace anymaterial of a fatty, oily or greasy nature having a selective action oraflinity for metal p-articles.

C is the axle supporting'the cylinder on bearings D and provided withdrive pulley E while F is a hopper feeding the material, either dry oras'a pulp, into the cylinder preferably by means of pipe H.

- In operating the machine the inner lining B operating substantially asan endless belt is first covered with a thin coating of a suitablemetal-collecting grease whereupon the cylinder A is caused to revolveabout its axis C by application of power by any practical means. In thepresent instance belt connection with the drive pulley E iscontemplated. Material containing metallic particles or crushed ores orsands with or without water is fed into the hopper F and descendsthrough the tube H and reaches the lower periphery of the lining B nearthe closed end of the cylinder and is caused to roll in a directionopposite to that of the greased surface with which the material comesinto contact, the pulp sand or gangne gradually working its way towardthe open end of the cylinder where the failings are finally expelled,leaving the metallic particles cohering to the grease or imbeddedtherein. As shown in Fig. 3, the pulp may be fed into the cylinder nearthe closed end through the hollow axle. he-re water is fed into thehopper together with the gangue, ores or sands, there need beno'submersion into liquid of any part of the cylinder, but where thematerial is fed into the hopper dry, the lower part of the cylinder mustbe immersed in water or other liquids in order to prevent non-mctallicsfrom adhering to the grease. In treating ores requiring either acid oralkaline solutions. a tank or sump may be used as indicated in Fig. 1and acid or alkaline water may be held therein, into which the revolublecylinder A may be partly submerged for the purpose of facilitating theseparation of the metallic particles from the gangue; the tailings maybe automatically removed by means of suitable conveyors or otherwise.

In machines for the recovery of precious metals such as gold or platinumthe operation may be carried on until the greased surface of the machinehas been in a large measure covered, whereupon the machine may bestopped and the grease with the adhering metals scraped 0E andsubstituted ice with fresh grease for renewal of the operation. Therecovered grease and metals may be placed in a centrifugal oil separatorfor the expulsion of the oils or greases and the residue may then besmelted or treated by a suitable electro-chemical process for finalrecovery.

In machines for treating sulphide ores the surface of the machine wouldbe practically covered with sulphides in a single revolution of thecylinder. In treating such ores it is therefore necessary to add to themachine proper automatic devices for continuous removal of themetal-laden grease and the immediate re-coating of-the surface B withnew grease as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The removal of the grease maybe accomplished by a scraper plate S attached to a receiver L mountedwithin the cylinder and having a delivery opening through the open endof said cylinder. Said receiver is so arranged that the scraper edge iscaused to bear against the surface B in such manner as to remove thegrease from the surface B and collect it. in the receiver L from whenceit may be automatically withdrawn through the open end of the cylinderby mechanical means such as a belt conveyor or it may be forced out atthe end of the receiver L by compression through a suitable aperture.

The re-coating with grease may be accomplished by any suitablemechanical means such as the roller J mounted in suitable bearings inand partly surrounded by the receptacle K which may be supplied withsuitable grease or oils through the hopper K and intermediate tubingshown in Fig. 3, said roller J being preferably faced with a suitableyielding substance similar to that used for inking rolls. The scrapingmechanism and the re-coating device may be mounted on an eccentric baror tube Q having eccentric bearings N by means of which the pressureagainst the surface B may be increased or diminished as desired byadjustment of the lever T. The entire collecting assembly S L N andre-coating mechanism K J N may be securely held in a radially fixedposition by any suitable bracket connection with the aeaaasi pedestal Dat the open end of the machine or by any other suitable means.

While certain metals have a greater capacity for cohesion with thegrease than others there are numerous instances in which their contactwith the grease may easily be broken; in treating ores of that kind itmay be of great economical advantage to break their contact with thegrease by means of water sprays directed against the surface of thegrease at suitable angles in such manner as to cause the metallicparticles to loosen and flow off into and through the collectingreceptacles U leaving the surface B practically clean for furthercollection of metals. Water spray pipes suitable for this purpose areillustrated at X Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a mineral separating machine, thecombination of a cylinder revolubly mounted and coated on its interiorwith a mineralcollecting substance and a coating roller and receptaclefor the coating material combined with means for pivotally supportingsaid roller and receptacle together eccentrically with relation to thecurved interior surface of the cylinder.

2. In a mineral separating machine, the combination of a revolublecylindrical vessel closed at one end and open at the other and having amineral collecting substance applied to its interior surface, a receiverprovided with a scraper engaging said surface and means for pivotallysupporting said receiver eccentrically with relation'i-ro the curvedinterior surface of the cylinder.

3. In a mineral separating machine, the combination with a cylinderrevolubly mounted and coated on its interior with a mineral collectingsubstance, said cylinder being closed at one end and open at the otherand a mineral collecting and re-coating mechanism eccentrically pivotedon the supporting pedestal at the open end of the cylinder.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia this 3rd day of February A. D. 1921.

' OSCAR W. ALSTON.

